Behind the Scenes
by Grey Shorts
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is the most popular actor in the world. Sakura is a fan, but a sensible one, who realises the man isn't as perfect as everyone believes. How will Sasuke react to meeting a woman who isn't completely and utterly starstruck? AU
1. Chapter 1: Sasuke Uchiha

"I can't handle this. Seriously. He's too perfect."

"I hate to say it," Sakura replied her friend, "but I have to agree with you on this one, Ino."

"I don't understand. Even his voice is perfect," Ino continued gushing, as the pair left the movie theatre. They had just gone to see the latest action flick starring Sasuke Uchiha, who was currently the subject of Ino's admiration. "His damn _frown_ is perfect."

"We work in media," Ino continued, almost to herself. "When do you think we'll get to meet him?"

"Umm... never?" Sakura laughed. "Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I'm a journalist who hates her job and you did a soap commercial. Once. I don't think we're meeting any famous people anytime soon. Besides, I don't know – "

"Oh. My. God." Ino interrupted. "This guys is a saint. Not only is he gorgeous and a great actor, he promotes charities and loves kids too. Look!" She waved her phone with a photo of Sasuke Uchiha reading to a group of schoolchildren in Sakura's face.

"Did you just look him up on your phone?" Sakura cried incredulously. "We just saw the man on screen."

"I will never get enough of him," Ino laughed. "Come on, let's grab a drink and we can discuss this godlike man some more. You're paying. Don't think I didn't notice that soap-commercial dig at my career, Sakura."

* * *

Sakura was woken up early the next morning by her phone ringing. It was Ino. More importantly, it was 6am on a Sunday.

"This better be good," she mumbled as she picked up the phone.

She was met instantly by Ino's excited chatter. "You will not believe what I just found out. Go on, have a guess. Actually, don't. You're depressing and you'd never get it right. Anyway, Sasuke Uchiha is coming to town! He's got an interview on _Late Night with Jiraiya_ tonight."

Sakura rolled over in bed and groaned. "Are you serious? That's why you called me at this ungodly hour? I'm hanging up."

"You'll thank me later, Sakura. Get up, get dressed, we're going to be outside the airport when he arrives."

"Ino, do you even know what flight he's on?"

"Well, no. But – "

"It doesn't matter. That's crazy fangirl shit. We are NOT crazy fangirls."

"Sakura, this man is beautiful, he's tall, smart, talented, beautiful, and did I mention beautiful?" Ino said. "Alright, we can stand outside the studio tonight, then, and maybe get an autograph as he walks in."

"Ino, I take back what I said about crazy fangirls earlier. YOU are a crazy fangirl, and – hold on, I'm getting another call. Why isn't anybody asleep?" Sakura muttered the last bit to herself, as she switched to the new call.

"Hello, Sakura speaking," she answered.

"Sakura, it's me. I need you to haul your ass out of bed and get down to MBS Studios right now."

Sakura realised her hopes of having any more sleep that morning were gone the moment she heard Naruto's voice. Naruto was the editor of the magazine she worked for. He was a great boss, but he was also slightly crazy. Unhinged may have been a better word. The man constantly wore ski goggles on his head.

"What's the story?" she asked as she rolled out of bed and stumbled over to the kitchen of her studio apartment.

"Sasuke Uchiha is going to be walking into that studio sometime today and I need you to be there to grab a comment on the rumours about his relationship with his co-star, that chick who's like, fifty years older than him or something."

"Not you too, boss," Sakura cried. "Firstly, she's not that much older, and secondly, his interview is at nine. That's 15 hours away."

"What's a 15 hour wait outside the studio for a good story, aye?" Naruto chirped happily. "Try to score a full interview if you can. Wear something sexy. Stand out. Thanks Sakura. Peace." He hung up.

Sakura switched back to her conversation with Ino on the other line.

"Do you have a secret boyfriend halfway across the world or something?" Ino asked. "Who calls you at 6am on a Sunday?"

"You do," Sakura chided. "That was my boss. Great guy. I'm clearly his favourite employee." She sighed. "Meet you outside MBS Studios in an hour."

"I KNEW YOU LOVED SASUKE," Ino yelled excitedly over the phone as Sakura hung up.

* * *

**_Author's Note: I have no idea where this came from._**


	2. Chapter 2: The Publicist

Sakura arrived at the studio to find a small crowd already gathered. She had to hand it to the fans. She was also not surprised to see several journalists and reporters from various media outlets already hanging outside the entrance to the studio, no doubt hoping for a quick comment from the star as he arrived.

Which could be anytime within the next thirteen hours.

She was glad she had stopped to grab coffees on the way – one for herself and one for her friend. She spotted Ino in the crowd, wearing a little black dress that clung to her curves in all the right places. Her blonde hair was knotted up in a classy bun, and she looked every bit the model that she was.

"Aren't you cold?" Sakura asked as she approached her friend.

Ino smirked. "I've done bikini shoots in sub-arctic locations. This is nothing," she joked, and Sakura had to laugh. "You could have worn a dress," Ino remarked, as she accepted the coffee Sakura brought her gratefully.

Against Naruto's advice, Sakura had gone with a jacket over a plain singlet and skinny jeans. It was the time of year for chilly mornings and hot afternoons, and Sakura never knew how to dress for the weather.

"Unlike you, I'm working," Sakura replied.

"Good luck getting him to notice you in _that_," Ino said, earning a playful whack from Sakura.

"Why do you think I brought you?" Sakura retorted.

They stood surveying the crowd for a few minutes. Sakura grew impatient. It was not the first time Naruto had asked her to do this, and she found it ridiculous that he expected her to spend an entire day just standing around and waiting.

"Keep watch, Ino. I'm going to see if I can find out anything," she told her friend, as she moved towards a group of huddled journalists she recognised.

"Haruno," one of them greeted as she approached. "I see you're still the _EP Mag_ woman of choice for this sort of operation," he said, making reference to the magazine she worked for.

"Nice to see you too, Kabuto. Hinata, Temari, Shino." Sakura greeted each of them in turn. "We all know why we're here, and it's _not_ because we're employees of the month," she continued dryly.

"Well," a woman with grey eyes spoke up, "We're all here for the same story, and we know how this works. Mad dash as the car pulls up for a five second window to get his attention."

"You got it, Hinata," Kabuto said obnoxiously. "And as I remember it, you haven't been the winner in any of the last five contests."

Sakura shot the man a glare. Hinata was a sweet girl, new to the profession and still too shy to be as pushy as the job required. Kabuto looked sheepish, regretting the comment as soon as he said it. "If you want to know if we know anything more than you do, the answer is no. We're all in the same boat," he said quickly.

Sakura nodded, surveying the crowd. It was a mixture of young women and children – fans of the actor and of the superhero character he played, respectively.

Suddenly, a black car pulled up to the entrance of the studio. Fans began screaming in anticipation, and there was a general surge towards the vehicle. A young man in sunglasses stepped out flashing a wide grin. He was handsome and dressed in a suit, but it was obviously not the star that everyone had been hoping for.

"Sorry to disappoint," the man said cheekily, as the crowd calmed down and returned to a state of quiet expectation. The man strode uninterrupted through the crowd towards the studio, but Sakura recognised him and called out as he passed.

"Shikamaru."

The man turned at the sound of his name, his look of surprise breaking into a grin as he spotted Sakura. He motioned for her to follow him into the studio, and she complied. Once inside, he embraced her like an old friend.

"It's been a while," he said.

"Yes, it has," she replied, pulling away. "Are you working this campaign?" she asked.

Shikamaru laughed. "Look at you, Sakura, all business, as usual. What's it been? A year? Two?" he said.

Sakura frowned, and the man became serious. "Yes, I'm working this campaign, and no, I'm not going to tell you when he's arriving, neither am I granting you a one-on-one just because we're old friends. So don't ask."

Sakura smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it," she said nonchalantly.

Shikamaru was one of the best publicists in the industry. Sakura hadn't known he was campaigning for this new movie, and she grudgingly admitted he had done a very good job so far. They had studied journalism together back in the day, and she sighed inwardly at the difference between the level of success he had achieved in his career compared to hers.

"I could take you to dinner, though," he continued. "After the interview. We'll grab a late bite."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, moving to walk away.

Shikamaru caught her by the arm. "Don't be like that," he said softly. He sighed. "Sasuke will be here at 8:50 tonight, just before the interview. He loves meeting the fans, but his agent is trying for the "less is more" tact, so he'll arrive at the side entrance to the studio."

Sakura nodded as he continued. "I don't know why you're still doing this job, Sakura. You could be writing real news."

Sakura frowned again. "Don't patronise me," she said. "Thanks for the tip," she added, shaking him off and walking away.

"So I'll see you for dinner at ten?" he called after her.

"Nope," she said without looking back.

"Sixteen months," he said, stopping her mid-stride. She turned around.

"What?"

"Sixteen months," he repeated, softly. "That's when I last saw you."

Sakura held his gaze for a moment, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. For a moment he was hopeful. Then she shook her head and walked out of the studio.


	3. Chapter 3: Mishap

Ino saw Sakura follow the suited man into the studio, and then watched her storm back out not five minutes later. "Sakura," she called out as she made her way towards her friend, who did not stop walking.

"Sakura," she said, catching her arm when she finally caught up. "Hey, are you alright?"

Sakura stopped and seemed to snap out of a daze. "Sorry," she apologised as she focused on Ino. "I was thinking."

"I'll say," said Ino. "Who's the hunk you followed into the studio?"

Sakura tensed, but said nonchalantly, "He's working on promoting the new movie."

"Must be a pretty important guy to get you past studio security like that," Ino pressed.

"He's a publicist," Sakura said curtly. The two stood in silence for a moment. "Anyway," Sakura continued, "Sasuke Uchiha won't be making any appearances till right before the interview, so there really isn't a point in waiting around all day."

Ino, despite her curiosity, did not push for more information about the suited stranger. "Well," she said lightly. "I'm all dressed up so it would be a shame to go straight home. Coffee number two?"

Sakura laughed. She and Ino were complete opposites, and not just in appearance. Ino was tall, blonde and slender, standing at 5'8". Her looks and figure had gotten her various modelling gigs over the past 8 years – enough for her to support herself since the young age of sixteen. She was beautiful and could be silly at times, but Sakura knew that inside, Ino was a strong, capable, and independent woman.

Sakura, in contrast, was petite with darker hair. She recognised that she was somewhat attractive, but no head-turner like her blonde friend. In fact, where Ino made a career out of her looks, Sakura usually tried to find methods requiring the least amount of effort in order to appear reasonably presentable. The two had gone to school together, but where Ino had left for a big city at sixteen to pursue her modelling career, Sakura had gone on to study journalism on the other side of the country. They had hardly seen each other in seven years, until about a year before, when Sakura, too, had made the move to the city.

They had definitely made up for the lost seven years since then.

"Do you think 9:30 in the morning is too early for a drink with more punch?" Sakura joked.

Ino laughed. "Sakura, my dear, it is NEVER too early for that."

* * *

Sakura found herself waiting at the side entrance to MBS Studios ten minutes before Sasuke Uchiha was due to arrive. Young children and their parents were spilling out the door, chattering excitedly. Sakura guessed that the studio must have put on a special kids' event earlier that evening. She realised that the popular actor might not get into the studio as quietly as he had hoped. Ino had been called up last minute to stand in for another model that was unwell, so she was missing out on this waiting game.

Silently, she ran through what she knew about the man. His popularity had been steadily increasing over the 5 years since his on-screen debut, but it was truly this new movie that had thrown him into the spotlight. The cast had been touring the world to promote it, and this city – hometown to a majority of the cast – was their final stop. In all his previous interviews, he had always been witty without being crude, confident without being cocky, engaging, intelligent, and just completely charming the pants off anyone who came into contact with him.

Sakura had to admit she was a fan. He was talented and attractive, and she had been surprised at his apparent modesty despite all the attention he was getting. Still, she had never been one to fawn over fame – a trait she had come to realise was actually an asset in her line of work. She had seen many a journalist end up with very mediocre interviews as a result of being distracted and starstruck.

Naruto had wanted her to weasel out a confirmation of Uchiha's relationship with co-star Tsunade, who, at 36, was eight years his senior. Her nutjob of a boss had called her up again earlier to remind her exactly what to ask, offering "encouragement" on how to persevere until she got the answers she wanted. In any case, the age difference was not the scandal. Tsunade was married. Sakura sighed at the thought.

"Well fancy seeing you here."

Sakura turned to face Kabuto standing behind her with a smirk on his face. "Surprised? I saw you walk into the studio after a very familiar face early this morning. You left straight after, and in my past experience, you don't leave the site of the story before you get the story unless you know there is no story," he continued.

Sakura scowled. "I hope you don't write your articles the way you speak, Kabuto. That sentence structure was atrocious."

"Ha, funny. In any case, I thought about it and I finally recognised him under those sunglasses. Shikamaru Nara. He likes to keep a low profile outside of his professional connections, but he's a public relations god, and it would make sense that he's on this promotional campaign."

"Is there a point to this?" Sakura interjected, keeping her eyes open for any sign of the actor's arrival. The children around them were getting rowdy.

"WELL," Kabuto said smugly. "As I recall, he dated one Sakura Haruno for a couple of years, but that ended more than a year ago. Still, I put two and two together and figured that if I just followed you, I'd eventually find Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura's scowl deepened. She didn't need to be reminded of her relationship with Shikamaru. Although she wouldn't admit it to herself, seeing him that morning had shaken her. She had mentally kicked herself over and over again for even calling out to him, let alone following him into the studio. Still, she consoled herself with the fact that she had gotten a good tip. She glanced at her watch. 8:55pm; maybe the tip wasn't as good as she had believed.

She moved out of the way of a family of four as they exited the studio, just as a black car pulled up to the sidewalk. A young man got out of the car quickly and unceremoniously, followed by an older one – Uchiha and his agent, respectively. Sakura and Kabuto both rushed over to the actor, Kabuto already directing a flurry of questions at him from fifteen feet away.

"Sasuke, can I get a comment on your relationship with Tsunade?" Kabuto asked directly, not-so-subtly shoving Sakura out of his way.

"We're not answering any questions out here tonight," the agent said, guiding Sasuke towards the doors. Some of the families in the area were starting to notice Sasuke's arrival, although security was effectively keeping them away for the moment.

"Come on, Neji," the actor said lightly. "A couple of questions won't hurt."

"Sasuke," Sakura called out, and he turned his startlingly intense gaze towards her. She faltered and looked away for a moment towards the street, but recomposed herself almost immediately and continued. "What do you have to say about the rumours that – "

Sakura stopped mid-sentence. A little boy had dropped his toy onto the road behind the car that had just unloaded the actor and his agent. Sakura saw the driver put the car into reverse just as the child stepped out onto the road to retrieve it.

Without thinking, she dropped everything and ran towards the little boy, pulling him off the road just in time.

Or so she thought.

Too late, she realised the car had rolled over the one foot she still had on the road. Even as the driver realised what had happened and moved the car forward off her foot, she lost her balance and fell back onto the sidewalk, hitting her head as a sharp pain shot through her leg.

Amidst the muffled sounds of concerned passers-by and one hysterical parent, she heard heated voices.

_Sasuke, not now._

_We can't leave her here._

_Somebody's already called the ambulance. I'll send someone from our team over with her to the hospital._

_Sasuke, what is your relationship with Tsunade?_

_Get inside, now! _

She struggled to focus on the blurred faces over her, and the last thing she saw before falling unconscious was the concerned frown of the very handsome Sasuke Uchiha.


	4. Chapter 4: St John's

Sakura woke to find herself in a strange bed in a strange room with Ino by her side.

"Hey," the blonde said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura smiled. "How do I look?" she mumbled, getting a laugh from Ino.

"You've been out for a while. Do you remember what happened?" Ino asked Sakura.

Sakura nodded. She remembered Kabuto, the child, the car. She remembered falling. She remembered Sasuke Uchiha. She looked around the room and her eyes came to rest on the very nice curtains framing the window. She realised she must still be in whatever hospital they had brought her to.

"Ino," she said sharply, as a thought suddenly hit her. "Where am I and how long have I been in this bed?"

"Umm... about 26 hours? It's almost midnight now. We're at St. John's."

"Oh, shit," Sakura said, sitting up in her bed. "Oh, shit. Help me up."

"What's the matter," Ino said, alarmed. She helped her friend up to a standing position by the bed, her eyes widening when Sakura pulled the IV out of her arm.

"Where are my clothes?" Sakura asked hurriedly as she began unbuttoning the hospital gown she was wearing. She had never understood why the buttons had to be on the back instead of the front. _Foot hurts like hell_, she thought. Ino pointed to the bedside drawer, but didn't motion to help.

"You really don't have to worry, Sakura. Everything's been taken care of. Sasuke's people granted _EP Mag_ an exclusive with him and Naruto's over the moon."

"Ino-" Sakura tried to interject, but the blonde continued.

"It's been good for their campaign too. There was a good photo op of him visiting you while you were unconscious. It's been a real fluff story for the media. People love it, and I got to meet him and he is really SUCH a nice guy-"

"No, listen," Sakura said as she finally got the last button off. "Ino, I can't afford this. Medical bills. I can't."

Ino stopped. "Oh," she said softly. "Right. Well, I'll go see about getting you discharged then. Doctor did say you should be good to go when you woke up." With that, she disappeared back out the door.

Sakura got her clothes out of the drawer and somehow managed to struggle into her jeans with her bandaged foot. She grabbed her shirt, and in that moment heard a soft "Oh!" behind her. She turned in time to see Sasuke Uchiha politely turning to face the door, and quickly put her shirt on.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't realise you would be... up."

"No problem," Sakura mumbled as she gathered her things. Sasuke stood lamely at the door, not knowing what to do with himself. She paused, realising she was being rude, and took a deep breath. "I hear you visited me while I was unconscious," she said, turning to look at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Sasuke coughed. "Least I could do, seeing as it was my careless driver who ran over you. I am sorry about that, and I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I'm Sasuke, by the way."

"Sakura. And there's no need to feel bad. He hardly ran over me," Sakura smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said anxiously, making for the door.

"Wait," Sasuke said, moving to block her way. Sakura, nose almost colliding into his chest, noticed suddenly how tall he was. Then again, at barely past five-foot-three, everyone seemed tall to her. She took a step back as he continued. "I do feel somewhat responsible. I want you to know I've personally taken care of your medical bills. You needn't worry about that."

"Oh," Sakura said, surprised. "I... you didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have. I appreciate it, but I really can't let you do that. Have your office send me the bill, and I'll settle it." Sakura did not like relying on other people. She did not like being in debt to anyone, much less a stranger.

It was Sasuke's turn to be surprised. "It's really no problem at all," he said. "And it's already done."

"No, I insist," Sakura persisted.

"So do I," Sasuke replied quickly. "Let me be a gentleman." Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke chuckled and began in a mocking tone, "Yes, let me prove today, to at least one woman in this world, that the gentleman does still exist; that chivalry is not dead, that gallantry prevails and that-"

"Have you already forgotten that you walked in on me half dressed," Sakura interrupted mid-tirade, smiling sweetly and condescendingly at his words.

"No, no I haven't," Sasuke said, amused by her sarcasm. He grinned roguishly and leaned in. "While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, I usually let the girls buy me dinner first."

Sakura scowled and pushed him lightly out of her way. She was halfway out the door when he caught her arm, stopping her.

"Hey," he said, pulling her back to face him. His tone was no longer cheeky. "That was a great thing you did last night," he continued gently, his gaze piercing. "You might have saved that little boy's life. I don't know if I would have reacted as quickly or selflessly as you did, so you should feel proud about that."

Sakura cocked her head to one side, a quizzical frown forming on her forehead. "I did what anyone would have done," she said softly, matter of fact. He saw her eyes become unfocussed for a moment as she recalled the moment she had pulled the boy out of harm's way. Those bright emerald eyes.

"Ahem."

Sasuke hurriedly let go of Sakura and the two sprang apart. Shikamaru stood at the door, Ino just behind him.

"Ah, Shikamaru," Sasuke said, putting his hands in his pocket. "I was just telling Sakura here how brave she was. Hello Ino. Nice to see you. Again. Today."

Ino smiled, "Hi Sasuke," she piped. Shikamaru's expression, on the other hand, remained impassive.

Ino continued, "Shikamaru told me you're settling the bill. Thank you so much. I don't know how Sakura would have managed to come up with that-"

"Ino!" Sakura warned sharply, and her friend stopped mid-sentence.

There was an awkward silence as the four stood here, broken by Sasuke when he said, "Oh, how rude of me. Sakura, this is Shikamaru, my publicist and good friend. Shika, meet our hero of the day, Sakura."

Sakura turned to nod at Shikamaru, their eyes locking. "We've met," she said shortly, holding his gaze.

"Shika!" Sasuke exclaimed. "You didn't tell me you knew her."

Shikamaru shrugged. "We were classmates before," he said, finally breaking into a smile.

Sakura grabbed Ino's hand and began hobbling towards the door. "Well, it was lovely to meet everyone, but we really must be going now." She turned to Sasuke. "Send me that bill, please."

"Take me to dinner instead," Sasuke said, grinning at her. "It's the least you could do after flashing me."

Both Sakura and Shikamaru turned to glare at Sasuke.

"Send me that bill," Sakura repeated. "Shikamaru has my number," she said, as she and Ino left the men behind.

Sasuke and Shikamaru stood in silence, watching them go.

"That girl is... interesting," Sasuke remarked pensively to his friend. "How do you know her again?"

Shikamaru snorted. "I know that look. Don't even think about it."

Sasuke laughed. "I'm not, honestly. I just find her amusing. Give me her number," he said, turning to Shikamaru.

"What? No!"

"Come on, Shika, what does it matter? One dinner."

"She'll say no. I know her."

"Sounds like somebody's already lucked out," Sasuke said jokingly as he made a grab for Shikamaru's phone.

Shikamaru swatted him away, phone in his hand. "She won't agree," he repeated, but Sasuke managed to snatch the phone from him and began scrolling through his contacts.

"Alright, I'm sending her number to myself. Hey, everyone in here is a first name-last name contact. She's just Sakura. Oh," Sasuke stopped. "Oh... you two used to date," he said with sudden realisation.

Shikamaru snatched his phone back. "Yes, but it was a long time ago," he admitted. "It was a while ago but I guess she still doesn't like me," he continued, giving Sasuke a weak grin.

Sasuke laughed and pounded his friend on the back. "Alright, I won't call her then, but you owe me that story. Now, food!" he demanded.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. He walks in on you getting dressed, but turns away like a gentleman. Then instead of being awkward, he manages to joke about it and indirectly asks you out. That's hot, Sakura."

Ino and Sakura were back at Sakura's apartment, sharing a bottle of wine. It was almost two in the morning.

"He was not asking me out," Sakura protested.

Ino ignored her. "On top of that, he paid your bills, is sexy as hell, and remind me again why you didn't just give him your number?"

"I did, in a way. His friend has it."

"Oh, Shikamaru. He's pretty damn sexy himself," Ino sighed. "What's the story with that one anyway?"

Sakura shrugged.

"Come on," Ino pried. "The guy practically carried you to the hospital."

"He did not!"

"Well, apparently when he heard about it, he took on the heavy responsibility of making sure you were looked after. Heavy because your thick skull weighs so much," Ino added, earning a light swat from her friend.

"Okay, okay," Sakura had to laugh a little. She paused, and Ino waited. "Remember that boyfriend I told you about from when I was getting my degree?"

"Oh, yes. Mr. Smart-Cute-and-Unfaithful. You know, he didn't deserve you, but you did kiss that other guy too. Just saying. Anyway, what about him?"

Sakura just stared at Ino.

Ino started. "Oh," she realised. "Oh, I see. Umm... wow. "

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Ino broke into a cheeky grin. "Damn, Sakura, you did goooooood. He is one sexy beast," she said, patting Sakura on the back.

"Ino!" Sakura said, starting to giggle. "It's not funny!"

Ino began giggling too. "Come on, it was a little funny." The two broke into laughter for a while.

"Okay, no more wine tonight," Sakura said when they recovered. "You're staying here, yes?"

"Already settling in," Ino said as she stretched back on Sakura's couch. Sakura went to get a spare blanket and pillow.

"You should give him a chance, you know," Ino mumbled as Sakura got into bed. Her apartment was a small studio – basically one rectangular room with everything jammed in.

"Who, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"No, Shika," Ino continued sleepily. "He was already at the hospital when I got there, you know, and he hardly left. He just... sat there looking worried the whole time."

Sakura was silent.

"I'm just saying," Ino continued after a moment. "I think he still likes you. Maybe he's changed."

"That's the wine talking. Go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Sakura said quietly.

"They don't change, Ino," she added softly.


End file.
